Early Childhood Development

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts related to Early Childhood Development, including stages, skills, and important factors influencing growth and development.

Early Childhood

A developmental stage from 1 to 6 years, occurring before starting elementary school.

Middle Childhood

The stage from 6 to 12 years of age.

Adolescence

A developmental period from 12 to 18 years that begins with puberty.

Transition to Early Childhood

• Development of Autonomy and Independence

• Rapid motor development

• Language development

• Socialization

• Attachment and relationships

• Identity formation & self concept

• Moral development

Autonomy

The development of independence and self-sufficiency in early childhood.

Egocentrism

The inability to distinguish between one's own perspective and that of others, prevalent in the preoperational stage of development.

Symbolic Thought

The ability to use symbols, such as words or images, to represent objects or experiences, starting in the preoperational stage.

Preoperational Stage

The second stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development, occurring between ages 2 and 7, where children begin to use language and think symbolically but still lack logical reasoning.

Gross Motor Skills of Early Childhood

• Combine balance, coordination, objects. Purposeful use of motor skills

• Climbing

Fine Motor Skills

The abilities that require the use of smaller muscles, which develop more slowly than gross motor skills and involve tasks such as writing or buttoning a shirt.

Moral Development

A process by which children learn to differentiate right from wrong and develop a sense of ethical behavior.

Kohlberg's Moral Development Stages

A framework proposed by Lawrence Kohlberg that categorizes moral development into three levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional.

Sleep Hygiene

Practices that promote regular and restful sleep patterns, essential for the health of young children.

Toilet Training

The process of teaching a child to control bowel and bladder functions, commonly achieved during early childhood.

Food Jags

Periods when a child eats only one type of food or a very limited range of foods.

Otitis Media

The most common ear infection in children, often associated with respiratory infections.

Language Development

The process by which children learn to communicate through speech and other forms of language.

Development of Social Skills

The progress children make in interacting with others and forming relationships.

Immunization Schedule

A timeline indicating when children should receive vaccinations to protect against various diseases.

Brain Growth

2 yrs: Brain weight is 75% of adult brain

5 yrs: Brain weight is 90% of adult brain

• Increaes in size due to part myelination of nerve fiber

Ear Infections in Children

More prone due to straighter and shorter position of Eustachian TUbe

Vision in early children

Convergence not fully mature until 7 years old.

• can cause amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus (crosss eyes)

Tertiary Circular Reactions

12-18 months

• More social

• Fully understand object permanence

• Uses objects as means of curiousity

• Imitates familiar words and enacts gestures when told (ex: waving)

Invention of new meaning through deduction:
18-24 months

• Begining. of symbolic though

• Uses primitive symbols

  • Allows child to think about concrete events without directly acting out or perceiving them

Preoperation Stage 2-7

Transition form primitve. tomore sophistacted. useof symbols

• Master of symbolization

  • Egocentrism

  • Animism

  • Symbolic Thinking

  • Centration

  • Lack of conservation

  • Intuitive reasoning

Animistic Thinking

Lifelike qualities ascribed to inanimate objects

Symbolic Thinking

Symbolic play, pretend play, imaginary play

• Use one object to represent another

Intuitive Thoughts

Starts to ask a lot of questions about the world, showing curiosity and desrie to understand how things work

Centration

Focus on one aspect. ofa situation while ignoring others

Lack of conservation

Not yet understand the concept of conservation

• Idea that quality stays the same even when its shape changes

• Ex: when a ball of play dough is flattened

Promoting Language Development

• Responding to children’s vocalizations/speech

  • Engaging in conversation with kids

  • Giving descriptions of objects/activities

• Talking and reading consistently

• Engage. inmuscial activties

• Gestures/simple signs with words

Erikson Stage 2: Automony vs Shame/Doubt

• Develops sense of independence and autonomy

• Discovers skills and abilities

• Manifest pride in accomplishments

• Begins coping with problems

Temper Tantrums

• Sudden outbursts of emotion, commonly seen in children ages 1-4

• Normal part of child development as toddler learns to navigate their emotions and communicate their needs

Erikson’s stage 3 : Initiative vs Guilt

• Child regularly interacts with other children at school

• Play provides opportunity to explore interpersonal skills through initiating activties

• Need healthy balance of initiative and guilt

Guilt in early childhood

Feeling that they are a burden to others, leading them to continually take on passive role and lack self-drive

Kohlberg’s Moral Development

1. Preconventional

2. Conventional

3. Post-Conventional

Pre-conventional stage

1. Obedience and punishment → Based on avoiding punishment

2. Infividualism and exchange → “right” behaviors are those that are in the best interest in self (“whats good for me”)

Conventional stage

1. Interpersonal relationships → “good boy/good girl” attitude, sees individuals as filling social roles

2. Authority and social order → Law and order as highest ideal. Needed to maintain functional society

Post-conventional

1. Social contract → Begin to learn other’s have different values

2. Universal principles → Develop internal moral principles, individual begins to obey these above the law.

Nightmares vs Night Terrors

Nightmares occurs during REM sleep, usually remember dreams after waking up.

Night terrors occur during non-REM, has no memory the next day

Solitary Play

birth -2 yrs

• Engrossed in own, independent play

Onlooker

2-3 yrs

• Observes others at play but not engage

Parallel play

2-3 yrs

• Separate play but with similar toys or using toys similarly

Associative Play

3-4 yrs

• Social interaction with little or no organization

Coorperative Play

4-5 yrs

• Concerned with solving a problem by working together to achieve a common goal